Fans have been waiting for it since Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 started.
Mike finally comes face to face with Konstantin, the monster who killed a young, innocent mother while she was holding her baby in the third season premiere.
We've been wondering what happened to the baby. After our exclusive TV Fanatic clip promo earlier this week, we knew we would finally find out.
And we knew the altercation would be because Konstantin put the baby in the trashcan.
What was unclear until the opening credits of the third episode was whether the baby would be alive or dead.
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Thank the TV Gods that as cutting-edge and hardcore as MOK can be, they did not put viewers through the torture of a dead infant.
But good job building up that tension with that clip! It's been a long week as we waited for the showdown.
And for Mike to finally realize something is up with Iris's disappearance.
And it wasn't just that she took off with his dead mom's car. In Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 Episode 2, he didn't seem worried when Kyle told Mike she was AWOL.
I've mentioned in previous reviews how Mike's police brothers often aren't any better than the convicts.
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So, hearing his brothers worry about what Mike will do now that he knows Konstantin is cleaning house after Milo's mess was a nice touch of humorous irony.
Way to throw us right into the fire from the beginning. Mike charges through Konstantin's hideout, smashing bad guys as he goes. It's always a pleasure seeing Mike's badass side.
So often, we forget he's an ex-con who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He's pissed, and he's raging war against what could be a formidable enemy.
Konstantin seems to know Mike's reputation. But he doesn't seem scared.
Mike: Who did it? Was it you?
Konstantin: What in the fresh hell is this?
Mike: Get the fuck off. You Konstantin? Throwing babies in the fucking garbage. You got my attention. You don't want that. You come into this town, you kill Milo and anyone he works with. So, who's next on your fucking list?
Konstanin: You're Milo's attorney. That makes so much more sense. You're Michael McLusky. I know your name. I know your reputation. And most lead with cock or claw. But you know this Michael. Don't you? 'Cause you're an animal.
Mike: I don't think you want to find out.
Konstantin: Is that a warning?
Mike: No more dead bodies.
That is not smart on his part. But he seems used to getting his way. So, we'll have to see how much of Kingstown he ruins before Mike helps take him down.
At the prison, we see Bunny's second-in-command brokering a deal with the Mexicans to score a new supply chain of drugs since someone tampered with his products in the last episode.
Someone is definitely out for the Crypt leader. Do we want to see them succeed in shutting him down? Bunny does seem to act overentitled with Mike sometimes.
But isn't there a saying that when you get rid of one bad person, the person who replaces them is even worse?
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Konstantin definitely seems to be more evil than Milo. And we've barely even seen what he's capable of yet. Discarding an infant like trash gives us a good idea of his inhumanity.
And how about the new Aryan in charge, Merle Callahan? It almost sounded like he issued a threat to the new Warden. Is he responsible for the attempted hit on Bunny's new guy in charge?
Seems like Bunny's number two is a dangerous role to have right now.
Bunny visits Mike, discovering how disconnected he has become from everything inside the prison.
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He didn't know about Gunnar's death in the previous episode or that there was a new leader in the prison for the white gang.
Shouldn't he be on top of developments like that as the unofficial mayor? How can he keep the peace as he claims to do if he doesn't know there's a war?
If we were hoping that being a dad would change Kyle's mind about becoming a SWAT officer, we're now sorely disappointed.
Let's hope it doesn't lead to another baby ending up without a dad.
It's interesting to see Kareem's major change of attitude toward Mike now that he's Warden. His points are super valid.
Kareem: As of 36 hours ago, Merle Callahan returned to us.
Mike: You didn't want to pick up the fucking phone, Kareem.
Kareem: I don't report to you, Mike.
Mike: Yeah, I know you don't. Come on. No one said you did. But, you know, neither of us can do this in a fucking vacuum.
Kareem: The torch has been passed. It's in my hand. And I will run shit my way.
Mike: Run shit the way you want to run it, Kareem. But what you do in here, that goes on the outside.
Kareem: And KPD will deal with what happens on the streets.
Mike: Fuckin -- you know how this works Kareem.
Kareem: KPD will deal with what happens out there.
Mike: Jesus Christ.
Kareem: And I will deal with the shit that happens inside my prison.
Mike: You can't fucking silo this. You know that.
Kareem: Yes I can. Yes I can. You don't have agency in here man. You're a civilian, bad enough. But you're a fucking ex-con. And if any of this shit comes to light, what you do, what've you've done. Any of it comes to light man, and everyone is compromised.
Mike: You're compromised, you mean.
Kareem: Look, I'm not going to risk my career to help you play fixer. I can't do that.
Mike: Okay, I hear you. You put me in a position that I don't want to fucking be in, though Kareem. Which is going to force you to be in a position that you don't want to be in. You understand?
But so are Mike's.
Ian visited Charlie in prison, and it hit me in the feels.
I have to commend Kenny Johnson for his amazing acting skills. I cried ugly tears when Johnson departed CBS's SWAT as Dominique Luca in the seventh season.
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So it's great seeing him back on my screen, even if it is as a serial killer. He's a killer we can feel fond of -- maybe even sorry for.
Mike finally finds out that Iris is in jail. Kyle made a very good point about her.
Mike: Yeah, what do ya got?
Kyle: Mom's car was impounded. The female subject was stopped on a bullshit traffic infraction. Resisted arrest. Assaulted an officer.
Mike: Any ID?
Kyle? What ID, Mike? No. It's fucking her. Jane Doe, 'cause no license. She's refusing to give her prints.
Mike: Of course she did.
Kyle: But would it make a difference anyway, Mike? I mean, you even know her real name?
Mike: Thanks Kyle. I'm on my way.
Just as Mike gets ready to head to get Iris, he gets chased. Not a smart move.
Renner really had some action scenes in this episode. We got to see Mike in his full badassery. It will be interesting to see what body count he will rack up this season.
Mike just walks into the police station and nonchalantly admits to killing the guy Konstantin sent after him, and Ian doesn't bat an eye.
Guess it's good to have cop brothers when you do illegal things.
Or would that have been ruled as self-defense?
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Iris refuses to give her prints, and it's intriguing to think of why. We thought we would find out when Ian told her he'd bury whatever she was hiding.
And then he got some information. But he's keeping it from Mike. And us.
Evelyn is back and she's got Robert in her sights for his erratic decision to blow up the Aryan hideout during the shootout earlier in the season. He really should get brought up on charges.
But it looks like Mike and the department are trying not to let that happen.
We predicted Iris would know Tatiana -- the dead mom from Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 Episode 1 -- and apparently, she knows Konstantin.
Is Mike right to worry that she'll be one of his targets? He's trying to push her to leave, but is she safer going away or staying close, where Mike and his brothers can protect her?
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The best part of the episode was the non-climatic but very powerfully moving scene with Kyle holding his baby for some skin-to-skin contact.
Mike poked the bear yet again. At first, it seemed like it might have worked.
Mike: You think you know what you're dealing with or who you're dealing with. You don't.
Konstantin: Well, Milo was a pimp. So I thought you, your brother, his bitches. Now I can't speak for your brother --
Yeah, let's not.
No. But you, I underestimated. You I now understand are something else. Different animal.
Mike: Yeah. Yeah. A different animal. The kind that you don't put down. You can't kill me because you fucking need me. I'm the guy you work with. I'm the person that makes your life possible in this town.
Konstantin: Because you Michael are the Mayor.
Mike: You're damn right. Good fucking talk.
But I was NOT prepared for the massive explosion that happened right outside the jail as Ian, his partner, and another officer walked out.
And apparently, they weren't ready either.
Was that a declaration of war against Mike aimed at targeting his brother? Or is someone targeting the police? Or is it related to the explosion that occurred at Miriam's funeral?
What are your thoughts on what went down in Kingstown? How do you like the way the third season is progressing? What do you think is going to be next on the show?
Leave your thoughts in the comments and share this article with a Kingstown Fanatic so they can join the convo! We love making new friends.